It’s just a “little white lie”…..So what if you exaggerate a little on your resume, you lead someone to believe that you make a little more money than you actually earn, or maybe you omit something that you should tell a potential spouse during the nikah (wedding) arrangements. These are all considered by many to be insignificant little lies. However, little lies can and do add up and accumulate. Then, when the truth is revealed, it all comes crashing down destroying friendships, ripping apart families, and ruining careers…..and all that is just in THIS WORLD! Let’s not forget that lying is a sin and a sign of hypocrisy in Islam (and most other religions as well).

So, why is it so hard to tell the truth? Why do we feel compelled to lie? I guess we could chalk that up to human nature. We all want to please others and be pleased. Sometimes the truth hurts. Some people have such low self esteem that they think they need to lie to build themselves up and impress others. When, in actuality, the old adage of “be yourself” really is the best way to be! So cliche, I know. But…..it’s true!

So, anyway, I found this article written by Shaykh Ibrahim Dremali (a regular lecturer at www.sunnahfollowers.net) and thought that I would pass it on.

Al Khadhib-Lying

Written by Dr. Ibrahim Dremali

Sunday, 09 July 2006

Lying, where it is not allowed (and there are only a few exceptions where it is allowed) is a heinous sin and puts one in grave danger of corruption, hypocrisy and even kufr. It is a “slippery slope” to all manner of corruption and a character flaw from which it is difficult to return. Fellow Muslims, search within yourself and rid yourself of all forms of lying, deception and falsehood. Make sure that truthfulness is victorious over falsehood in your heart at all times. Allah does not guide one who is a liar. Allah said:

{Wa qaala rajulun mu’minun min aali fir’auna yaktumu imaanahu a taqtuloona rajulan an yaqoola rabiyya Allah wa qad jaa’akum bil-bayyinaati min rabbikum? Wa in yaku kaadhiban fa ‘alaihi kadhibuhu wa in yakun saadiqan yusibkum ba’dhu alladhiy ya’idukum inna Allaha laa yahdiy man huwa musrifun kadh-dhaabun.}
{And a believing man from Pharaoh’s people who had been hiding his belief said: Will you kill a man simply because he says my Lord is Allah, though he has brought you clear proofs from your Lord? If he is lying, his lie is upon him but if he is telling the truth, you will be afflicted by some of what he is warning you about. Verily, Allah does not guide one who is given to excess and lying.} Ghaafir:28

One of the worst forms of lying in which a Muslim can engage is to be phony about his/her Islam. Al-Hassan Al-Basri, an early taabi’i, was a famous waa’idh (preacher) who could bring large numbers of people to tears in moments. No one doubted his piety buy himself. He used to go to his home every night after doing whatever good Allah knows for Islam and tremble in fear that his actions may not measure up to his words. He did this in true contemplation and understanding of Allah’s statement:

{Yaa ayyuhaa alladhina aamanoo lima taquloona maa laa taf’aloona? (2) Kabura maqtan ‘inda Allahi an taqooloo maa laa taf’aloona. (3)}
{O, you who believe, why do you say that which you do not do? (2) It is very hateful to Allah that you would say that which you do not do.} As-Saff:2-3

The worst forms of lying is to tell lies (or speak without knowledge) about Allah, His Messenger and His Message (Islam). The source of this knowledge is Allah (via the Qur’an) and His Messenger (via the athentic hadith). There is no other route to this knowledge and the knowledge was sent by Allah is is being preserved by Allah. Al-hamdu lillahi! The knowledge is there for the seeking until yaumil Qiyaama. The previous nations did not get this. There were put in charge of preserving their messages and they lost them all. Allah himself took charge of preserving the message of Islam – even if that was actually carried out by human means. Allah said:

This includes lying about Allah’s laws (the shari’a) and speaking about what is halal and what is haram without authentic knowledge from Allah and/or from His Messenger (sas). Allah said:

{Wa laa taquloo limaa tasifu alsinatukum al-kadhiba hadhaa halaalun wa hadhaa haraamun li taftaroo ‘alaa Allahi al-kadhiba inna alladhina yaftaroona ‘alaa Allahi al-kadhiba laa yuflihoon.}
{Do not say about that which your lying tongues describe that this is lawful and that is not lawful, that you may forge a lie upon Allah. Verily, those who forge lies upon Allah never succeed.} An-Nahl:116

{Qul inna alladhina yaftaroona ‘alaa Allahi al-kadhiba laa yuflihoona (69) Mataa’un fiy ad-dunyaa thumma ilainaa marji’uhum thumma nudheeqahum al-‘adhaaba ash-shadeeda bi maa kaanoo yakfuroon. (70)}
{Say, verily those who forge lies upon Allah never succeed. (69) Some provision in this world but unto Us is their return and then we will make them taste the severe punishment for the kufr which they used to commit. (70)} Yunus:69-70

In addition to lying about Allah being one of the greatest sins and a cause of punishment in the hereafter, in the above verses, we see that:

Material gain is one of the motives for which people commit it.

People who commit this will never succeed.

They may get “goods” (mataa’) in this life, but will only eventually return to Allah and be serverely punished.

What they did was kufr.

Lying about Allah’s creation is also a major sin and a source of many kinds of corruption, division and strife.

“Inna min a’dham al-firaa an yud’aa ar-rajulu ilaa ghairi abeehi, au yuriya ‘ainahu maa lam tara, au yaqoola ‘alaa rasooli Allahi maa lam yaqul.”
“The most heinous of forgeries as for a man to be ascribed to other than his true father, to claim that his eye saw what it did not see and to attribute to Allah’s Messenger (sas) something which he did not say.” Al-Bukhari

A munaafiq is one whose apparent external reality is Islam, belief, practice of Islam, etc. but whose inner reality is disbelief and eveil intent toward Islam and the Muslims. It is NOT simply “hypocrisy” (which covers many things which are not “nifaq”) and that is a very inadequate and misleading of the term. The character flaw possessed by a munaafiq is called “nifaaq”. Nifaaq negates Islam even if one is “practicing” in the apparent

“Aayatu al-munaafiqi thalaathun wa in sallaa wa saama wa za’ama annahu Muslim: idhaa haddatha kadhiba, wa idhaa wa’ada akhlafa wa idhaa ‘tumina khaan.”
“The signs of a munaafiq are three – even if he prays, fasts and claims/believes he is a Muslim: when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise and when he is entrusted he betrays the trust.” Muslim & Al-Bukhari

These hadith clearly tell us that lying or truthfulness are character traits. They are habit-forming, are “slippery slopes” and are not something that any human can turn on and off at will. One who is a liar to people will also be a liar to Allah and vice versa. That is why a Muslim must take utmost precaution and steps against ANY form of lying, deception or falsehood whether with/about Allah or with/about people.

Malik ibn Deenaar said: “As-sidqu wa al-kadhibu ya’tarikaani fiy al-qalbi hattaa yukhrija ahaduhumaa saahibahu.” “Truthfulness and lying are in combat in the heart until one of them expels the other.”

Lying is one of the weaknesses of the nafs and one of the wrong things to which it becomes attracted.

Luqman is reported to have said to his son: “Yaa bunayya iyaaka wa al-kadhibi fa innahu shahiyyun ka lahmi al-‘usfoori ‘ammaa qaleelun yaqlaaho saahibuhu.” “Dear son, beware of lying for it is surely attractive like the meat of a quail which its owner is just about to pluck off and eat.”

I recently read on the Noggin website (which my three year old frequents) that Noggin will begin broadcasting 24 hours a day beginning on December 31st.

I’m quite dissappointed in this decision. One of the things that has impressed me about Noggin is the fact that it only broadcasts from 6am-6pm. Thus, parents who like to park their kids in front of the tv only have the ability to do so for 12 hours vs. allowing them to sit there all night as well. Oh, of course, the parent’s can flip over to sprout or some other 24 hour cartoon network once 6pm rolls around. However, Noggin ending at 6pm meant that Noggin was not going to support that lifestyle. It promoted (to a degree) spending evenings with the kids.

My real issue here is probably not the fact that we have 24 hour cartoon channels for preschoolers. My issue is not even that we have television programs that essentially wake up with the children and put them to bed (yes, Sprout has a good night show to get kids ready for bed).

My issue goes back to the lifestyle we are promoting and God forbid, living. I seriously hope and pray that parents are not utilizing a 24 hour cartoon network for their children.

Many studies have proven that children need human interaction. Sitting in front of the tv all day (and now all night) does not provide this. It is no wonder that this generation of children have alarming obesity rates and social problems.

The anthology-style Open Letters, Open Hearts will feature heartfelt letters written by Muslims who appeal to their family, friends and others to open their hearts and minds to the message of Islam.

Most of us have been touched and inspired by an emotional piece of writing. Something as simple as a greeting card or as lengthy as a novel can successfully evoke emotion in a reader. Whether raw and direct, or gentle and persuasive, the power of the written word can not be denied.

Muslims worldwide are invited to use this power and compose open letters which address the people and unique circumstances in their own lives from an Islamic perspective.Whether differences need to be solved, religious issues explained, or concern expressed about someone’s harmful life choices, a letter allows the writer to convey sincerity and present Islamic values and teachings in a positive, relevant light.

Although Muslims naturally wish for others to recognize the truth of Islam, one of the main objectives of Open Letter, Open Hearts is to appeal to the emotional ties that connect us to family, friends and humanity in general. It is hoped that people of all faiths will find common ground with Muslims through the personal stories and situations revealed in the letters. Inshaa’ Allah, this connection will help open the door to better understanding of Muslims and Islam’s true teachings.

The Open Letters, Open Hearts project was born of the editor’s desire to meet her personal da’wah obligation and help her non-Muslim family better understand her decision to embrace Islam.All Muslims have a religious duty to give da’wah (invite others to Islam through teaching or example of good actions). However, many Muslims are uncomfortable doing so, either due to inhibition or because family and friends aren’t open to such discussion.

Da’wah is not only directed at non-Muslims. Born-Muslims often find themselves dealing with family and friends who either don’t practice the religion at all, or neglect certain aspects of it.

Submitting an open letter to the anthology – and inshaa`Allah directly to the person(s) to whom it is addressed – offers a positive step towards meeting our da’wah obligation.

– Submissions must be in English.Proofread your letter carefully for spelling and grammar. Poorly written submissions will not be considered.

– You may submit more than one Open Letter, but each letter must be submitted separately.

– Letters may be written to an individual or a group (i.e. an entire family, colleagues, neighbors, etc.).

– Although general content to promote understanding of Islam is acceptable, letters which address very unique, personal situations are most likely to be selected. For example, a revert to Islam may feel the need to explain his reversion to an angry family member. A born Muslim might want to clarify to her mother why some of her “Islamic” cultural practices are actually not compatible with the true teachings of Islam. Another writer might address a friend’s alcohol or gambling addiction.

– Open Letters of a political nature or letters which address a vast group of people (i.e. letters addressed to the West, all Americans, world leaders, etc.) will be considered only if the content and message will outlive today’s current events.

– Whatever the letter’s theme, the content must contain relevant and correct Islamic perspective or teaching. Passages from the Holy Qur’an and Ahadeeth should be referenced.
– Write from the heart. Letters with a strong emotional component are highly desired. References to personal events and family history will help evoke memories and stir emotion in all readers.

– The tone of the letters should be kind, informative and non-judgmental. Hateful or inflammatory language will immediately disqualify a submission.

– Any topic is welcome, as long as the writer successfully relates it to Islam. Possible topics include:

– Culture versus religion
– Comparison of Christianity and Islam
– Explanation of conversion/reversio n
– Incompatibility of the Trinity with Islam
– Infinite Mercy of God
– Women in Islam
– Islamic appearance and dress
– Comparison of the Torah, the Bible, and the Qu’ran
– Current events and terrorism
– Tawheed and the belief in One God
– Islam’s views of Jesus and Maryam, peace be upon them
– Harmful lifestyle choices and practices
– Polygany
– Concept of submission to Allah
– Non-Muslim and Islamic holidays
– Rights of parents and children
– Tenets of Islam
– Commonalities and differences between Christianity and Islam
– Shirk and the association of others with Allah

Use double spacing and select a 12 pt. Roman font (such as Times New Roman).

Save your document as a Word file (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf) and attach it to the email.(Please do not copy and paste your submission into the body of the email.)

Include the following information on the first page of your submission.Copy and paste the header directly into your document.
Your name
Nationality
Email address
City/State/Country of Residence
Introduction

The introduction should be a sentence or short paragraph which offers background to your letter. An example might be: I am an American Muslim convert of 14 years writing a letter to my brother, who is considering converting to Judaism.

Privacy and Anonymity

Your privacy and that of your family and friends is important. If your letter is selected, you will be asked what name you would like to be published under (real name, first name, kunya or pseudonym).Names, localities, and other details which help identify the addressee(s) will be changed when needed to protect their privacy.

Payment
As this is a da’wah project to promote better understanding of Islam and Muslims, the publisher, editor and contributors will receive no monetary compensation. Writers of letters selected for publication will receive two copies of the printed anthology.

About the Narrative Author/Editor

Christine (Amina) Benlafquih is a freelance writer and the current publications officer of the Islamic Writers Alliance. A former publications and public relations director, she accepted Islam in 1993. She lives in Morocco with her husband and six children.

Disclaimer

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